Bridging Political Divides: A nationwide study of local governments uncovers an effective way to reduce political polarization and promote mutual understanding.

• Author: Duong, Mylien T.
• Position: RETHINKING BUDGETING

Political polarization is the leading social rift of our time. Perhaps the clearest example is the U.S. federal government. Exhibit 1 on the following page demonstrates this point by tracking cross-party collaboration in the U.S. Congress from 1895 to 2017. (i) Currently, it is at an all-time low.

Political conflict is not limited to federal government officials. It also affects the general public. As one group of social scientists put it, "the most significant fault line in the second decade of the twenty-first century [in America] is not race, religion, or economic status but political party affiliation." (1) This political conflict has expressed itself in civic activities, such as a steep decline in split-ticket voting (2,3) as well as personal choices. For instance, political affiliation is becoming an important factor in choosing marriage partners--more important than education or religion. (4)

Given the pervasive impacts of political polarization, local governments are likely to be impacted as well, even if elections are nonpartisan. (5)

Heightened political conflict has been accompanied by declining trust. For example, when people in 1964 were asked whether the government was run on behalf of "a few big interests" or "the benefit of all," 64% of Americans believed that government was run for the benefit of all, while only 29% believed that government represented a few big interests. By 2018, when the U.S. was more polarized, those percentages had completely reversed. Only 21% of Americans surveyed in 2018 said they believed that the government benefited all, and 75% now endorse that government represented big interests. (6) This decline in trust is not limited to the political system, but it has seemed to pervade American life. In the early 1960s, nearly two-thirds of Americans expressed a fundamental trust in other people, but by the 2020s, only about one-third did. (7)

These problems of political polarization and declining trust cause difficulties in local government. (8) Consider the issue of COVID-19. An individual's perspective on CO VID-19 can largely be predicted by their political beliefs. (9110) The consequences are observable in schools. Public battles over masking policies and vaccine mandates have taken center stage in national media. There are subtler impacts as well. For instance, one GFOA member reported that their job of organizing training has become political, as partisan responses to COVID-19 have led to many uncomfortable conversations about in-person versus remote training. This is but one example of the pervasive impact of polarization, such that matters that might not otherwise be "political" become political.

The problems of polarization are not necessarily limited to issues of liberals versus conservatives. According to one GFOA member, their city--which is predominantly of one political affiliation--is experiencing declining quality of public discourse and waning trust. For example, a local construction project pitted committed environmentalists against political moderates. The environmentalists wanted to halt the project. The moderates believed the city government should not be involved because the concerns of the environmentalists were state and federal government responsibilities. The conflict became extremely polarizing, fraught with misinformation and people trying to win at any cost. The city manager was a victim of the misinformation campaign, where it was suggested that she was in the pocket of developers. She was then abruptly dismissed by the council. While city managers losing their jobs to local politics is nothing new, this seemed egregious given the city manager's years of exemplary service, long tenure, and reputation in the region [including a recent service award from a community group].

Polarization also manifests itself in the most important of all local government policymaking: the budget process. Because it involves "who gets what," budgeting is inherently political. As politics become increasingly dysfunctional, the budget process follows suit. Trust plays a critical role in the budgeting process, as outlined by GFOA's Financial Foundations for Thriving Communities [gfoa.org/fff]. A healthy budget process requires that the participants look to the greater interest of the community rather than seeking to get the most for themselves. To advance the group's well-being, each individual should be willing to avoid the temptation to hoard resources and trust that the process will address everyone's concerns. Without this trust, the result will be a zero-sum competition, where for one group to win, the other must lose. When everyone fights for their piece of the pie [or the whole pie], there will never be enough to satisfy everyone. This situation can lead to financial distress and alienation. (ii)

What can be done? GFOA's Rethinking Budgeting initiative urges local governments to confront complex problems by understanding root causes.

In this article, we will:

([right arrow]) Describe the psychology of polarization and what the science of "Moral Foundations Theory" can teach us about polarization.

([right arrow]) Review the practical application of Moral Foundations Theory.

([right arrow]) Examine the results of a study of Moral Foundations Theory and the application to local government.

Psychology of Political Polarization

Political polarization is rooted in many factors, both systemic and psychological. (12,13,14) One comprehensive, solution-focused approach to understanding ideological and political divides comes from Moral Foundations Theory. (15) Moral Foundations Theory not only explains differences in political, cultural, and ideological views, but it offers solutions for bridging these divides. It provides a framework for understanding our views and the views of others as well as a common language to discuss differences. A person's moral foundations are linked to personality, (16,17) emotional processing and sensitivity, (18,19) and the physical structure of our brains. (20) All of this suggests that moral foundations are deeply embedded within our psychology.

Moral Foundations: The Six "Taste Buds" of Morality

Moral Foundations Theory offers a unique solution to reducing political polarization. The theory states that there are six basic foundations to people's worldviews. These foundations are similar to taste buds. All people have basic types of taste buds on their tongues [salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory]. While everyone has different taste preferences [some prefer salty snacks, whereas others have a sweet tooth], we all use all of our taste buds.

Like people's taste buds and taste preferences, different cultures and people within these cultures have the same "taste buds" for morality; however, they often have different preferences. People all use the same six moral foundations: care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority, and sanctity. However, they draw on them in different ways and to different degrees to form specific moral worldviews. The way in which we rely on these foundations shapes our core values and worldview.

How do we develop our moral preferences from these foundations? Our moral foundations are thought to come from our evolutionary heritage, which has supported our survival. For example, the sanctity foundation [concerned with keeping certain things pure and sacred] has been thought to protect against pathogens and disease. (21,22,23) On the other hand, the care foundation corresponds to protecting and caring for one's offspring. (24,25) However, culture, upbringing, and life experiences can also influence our worldview.

The Six Moral Foundations Below is an in-depth overview of the moral foundations.

CARE

The care foundation serves as the basis for caring for others and trying to prevent harm. This underlies the values of kindness and compassion. A person who relies heavily on the care foundation would probably prioritize being gentle and kind. They would also probably value this in other people. A person who doesn't rely on this foundation much is more likely to value being tough and independent.

Example in local government: The latest census shows that much of the local population consists of senior citizens. The city's recreation department has proposed new recreation activities for seniors that would be free. To pay for these activities, the city would need to raise general taxes. Those who value care would be more likely to support offering free services for seniors and increasing taxes.

FAIRNESS

We all want to be treated fairly. We dislike when people cheat, even when we're not the ones who are affected by the...